Seven Puzzles You Think You Must Not Have Heard Correctly (2006) [pdf]

Re:Seven Puzzles You Think You Must Not Have Heard Correctly... by Retric on Monday August 29, 2016 @11:53AM (#12382726)

It assumes, they can secretly assign and remember a 100 items random ordering and then execute it perfectly. Further, it assumes they can decide which orientation is the start vs end of the line. Thus, it's not actually possible, but 'in theory' it seems to work.

EX: If I know your going to order based on which side is closet to the entry door nob when the door is closed. Well nothing says they all enter from the same door if it's based on the wall, put the table in the middle of the room.

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Re:Seven Puzzles You Think You Must Not Have Heard Correctly... by fenomas on Tuesday August 30, 2016 @12:56AM (#12387635)

I agree that the puzzle sort of plays dirty pool here.

The strict requirement is that the boxes are distinguishable. The puzzle implies this by saying they're lined up on a table, but it would be more honest to the reader to say they're numbered 1-100, or somesuch.

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Re:Seven Puzzles You Think You Must Not Have Heard Correctly... by mwerty on Monday August 29, 2016 @02:07PM (#12383828)

I must be missing something. Couldn't one instead assume that they have a private notebook and a pen? And that they can tell left from right? Seems more reasonable.

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Re:Seven Puzzles You Think You Must Not Have Heard Correctly... by Retric on Monday August 29, 2016 @02:32PM (#12384051)

So you want to add a private notebook that the warden can't read. Further, left vs right does not help if the table is in the middle of a room and people are entering from random doors.

AKA, the solution assumes a lot of information not explicitly part of the original wording.

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